Business Traveller suggests ways to cut the cost of holding events
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Stage the meeting over a day so you don’t have to put delegates up in a hotel for the night.
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Schedule it to start after the morning rush so attendees can qualify for off-peak air and rail fares. Similarly, finish up before or after rush hour.
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Hold the meeting at a hotel near the airport or train station to save on onward travel costs.
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Be flexible with your dates. Weekend events will cost less as hotels have more room, assuming they’re in a business location. Sweeten the pill by allowing staff to bring their partners. Otherwise, hold it on a Monday or a Friday. “The middle of the week is busier and costlier,” says Ben Hoeksma, business development manager at travel management company CWT UK. “It can also be cheaper at different times of the year,” says Paul Harnedy, regional director of hotel chain Barceló UK. “Good periods to consider are August and straight after Christmas.”
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Upgrade to an executive hotel room. In many cases this gives you free access to an executive floor and lounge, which often includes a conference room. Most hotels will allow you to invite non-executive guests to the meeting.
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Plan the meeting carefully to get the most out of your time – this will reduce the number of sessions you need to host and cut down on hire costs. Set objectives and discussion points in advance, stick to fixed time limits for making decisions, and keep people focused with frequent short breaks and energy food. Take a look at Von Essen Hotels’ “brain food” meeting package – see businesstraveller.com/tags/von+essen for a review.
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Negotiate rates with hotels and look out for packages and deals – many will give you free delegate spaces when you pay for a certain amount. A number of hotels also offer loyalty deals and rewards for meeting organisers.
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Pay attention to what’s included in the package. “Don’t fall for ‘added value’ items if you don’t need them,” says Paul Hussey, director of business development for meetings and events at online booking agency BSI. “You may be better off negotiating for the items you do want – maybe not pastries on arrival, but the inclusion of orange juice with lunch, for example.”
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Use a travel management company to book your meeting from end to end. “By consolidating all aspects of the event – venue, travel, accommodation and other logistics – TMCs achieve significant savings for clients,” says Christer Nordlund, director of events for northern Europe at HRG. “And with all elements under one central point of control, it’s easier to see what you’re spending.”
There are other benefits too: “What happens if you have to pull out at the last moment?” asks Mark Douglas, vice-president and head of sales for UK and Ireland at American Express Business Travel. “If you use a TMC they can often fill the space with an event from another client, saving you the charges.”
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Make use of new video-conferencing technology. The latest telepresence suites will make you feel the other participants are in the room with you. Investing in your own is very expensive, but hotel chains such as Starwood, Taj and Marriott have them for hire in selected cities around the world.
Taj’s six-person suite at its London property, 51 Buckingham Gate, is available for £190 per end point, per hour – a big saving on travelling overseas. Even cheaper are some of the web-conferencing options on the market, such as Citrix’s Go To Meeting (US$49 per month) or Cisco’s Webex (from £30 per month) – see the March edition of Business Traveller for reviews.
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Plan ahead – you will save if you book travel and accommodation early. Also, book a series of meetings in advance. “This will strengthen your buying power with the venue and other suppliers,” says Ben Hoeksma at CWT UK.
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Lunches are cheaper than dinners, and buffets generally cost less than plated meals.
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Plan your meeting in a city that has plenty of entertainment options close by – instead of paying for activities for delegates, you can schedule free time instead.
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Put jugs of water on the tables rather than bottles – it costs nothing and is more environmentally friendly. If you do have to order mineral water, ask to be charged on consumption only rather than setting an allocation per person, and ensure the venue’s staff are told to finish each bottle before opening another.
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Want bubbles? Serve prosecco instead of champagne.
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Find a sponsor for your meeting to help offset the cost.
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For bigger functions such as award ceremonies, try to find out who has booked your space on the days before and after you – some venues allow you to share audio-visual and production costs with other organisers.
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Where you can, leave the date off printed material such as signs, as you can reuse them for the same event at a later date.
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Consider bringing your own LCD projector. “Some hotels and venues still charge high rental rates for these,” Ben Hoeksma at CWT UK says.
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Switch your room layout. “For example, theatre-style requires less space than cabaret so you may be allocated a smaller room, which could mean a lower hire charge,” says Catherine Hutchings, sales manager at London’s Churchill Museum and Cabinet War Rooms.
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Subscribe to Business Traveller and receive a free Regus Businessworld gold card worth £199. This will provide free walk-in access for you and a guest to 1,000 business lounges worldwide – great for one-to-ones, with free internet and refreshments – as well as a 10 per cent discount on meeting rooms, day offices and video-conferencing. Visit businesstraveller.com/regus
